zero
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By the way - if you catch it in time it is likely your stock ring & pinion gears are fine and that awful howing is just half-melted pinion bearings. So, with some luck - all you need is new bearings and a new crush collar. Plus somebody with at least a 12 ton press. If your OEM gears do not look scorched - I'd just pop new bearings in. It is likely no "setup" will be needed. Just press the old bearings off the pinion, make sure you keep the original shim pack, and press the new bearings on. Then - this time - when it comes to tightening the pinion nut - do it until you reach zero end-play and then put just a hair of preload on it. Better yet - use a spring-scale and measure turning torque if you want to be precise. Sounds like your bearings are over-tight and near melted. If you change before they blow apart - it should not affect the ring & pinion at all. Problem is - you'd have to find someone with a press who knows how to get the bearings off and back on without damage. That requires a split-press-collar and likely a homemade driver for the bearings.
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For $400, I'd grab it. Kind of a rare find. That assuming you don't see any scorch marks are wear on the gears and the actual wear pattern looks like it should. If the pinion shaft if not jiggling back and forth horribly and all turns smoothly, chances are all is fine. I have seen MANY ring & pinions get ruined by jerks with air-guns on pinion nuts during "routine" seal changes. Now if it was an older 70s Toyota, ruining it with an air-gun would not have been possible since they used shim-packs instead of a crush-collar. Again, I think such a find that requires no shipping for $400 is a bargain. New gears and someones skill and labor would cost a lot more. NOT an easy job to set up new gears. You can correct the speedometer later with a special-made adapter gearbox for around $80. I have a new one sitting here on my shelf I have not installed yet.
Install of the Hotchkiss center-section is pretty straight-forward, just as you said. Drain the oil, pull both axles, disconnect driveshaft, remove nuts on the center-section, and remove.
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26 minutes ago, Back East Don said:
I am starting to see that with boats that come in at 3-4 nautical miles per gallon or worse.
My 17' Glastron with a 105 horse Chrysler outboard, at full throttle - got around 1 gallon per mile as I figure it. We used to camp on an Adirondack Island for a week at a time. Boat access only. 6 miles round trip. One day my son wanted me to do the entire trip full throttle. So, we did and my tanks are 6 gallons each. One round trip started with a full tank and we got back with a near-empty tank.
I replaced the engine with a 60s era 55 horse 4-stroke-cycle engine and get MUCH better fuel mileage. Pretty neat outboard, based on the old Crosley car engine tipped sideways.
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I know a guy in the Michigan UP that has four Toyota micro-minis. A Sunrader, two Dolphins, and a Winnebago. All 20-21 footers and all four-cylinder. He claims his Winnebago, 22RE and auto trans, does much better then the rest for fuel mileage but never gave me any real figures. He thinks it is more aerodynamic. Maybe it is?
There very well indeed may be anomalies out there. My problem is - whenever I've heard of one close enough for me to check out - the claims were never true. Not even once. I'm not talking about just Toyota RVs. I'm talking diesel pickups, my dad's 1972 Buick Skylark, etc. My dad claimed 20 MPG with a 350 V8 and he was not a liar. I got the car when he died and drove for awhile. It got around 11-12 MPG at best. In that case, I'm sure - due to that Buick's huge gas tank, and the fact that all his suburban trips were maybe a mile apart - a tank lasted a long time. That long-time frame likely gave my dad the "feeling" of getting 20 MPG. I am NOT saying that is your case. I am simply saying - that after 50 years of hearing fuel-mileage claims that did not pan out - I tend to believe things when I actually witness them. Or, read them in a controlled test.
I will also note that I bragged up my 1992 Dodge diesel truck for years because it could get 21 MPG on the highway if I kept it at 60 MPH or less. That for a 4WD, extended-cab truck with a long-bed. THEN - I discovered with a GPS that my speedometer and odometer were both off by quite a bit. I found out that the little speedometer transmission used by Dodge caused the "pleasant" error. I got the correct ratio gearbox made, put it in, and my fuel mileage dropped to 18.5 MPG. Kind of depressing. I felt like I ruined the truck.
I will note that the absolute highest fuel-mileage test I have ever read (for a "full-size" Toyota RV) was with a 1986 Winnebago 19 footer. I will also note that weight has very little effect on fuel-mileage if checking long-trip highway mileage.
This road-test done by Motorhome Magazine was done in 1986. They tested a new Winnebago 319RB with a 22RE and auto trans. Also stated to have a 3.9 to 1 rear instead of the usual 4.1 to 1. A steady trip, altitude of 900 feet, flat highway, temp of 75 degrees F, and max speed of 55 MPH yielded 18.5 with overdrive "on", and 19.5 MPG with overdrive "off." Weight of the RV with no passengers or cargo was 4860 lbs.
This report on a 1984 Mirage is NOT from a magazine but is well written.
- 1984 Mirage
- Purchase Price $12,255 new in September 1983
- Dimensions 17.5' long, 8.5' tall, 7'-8" wide (at rear)
- weight 3600 pounds empty
- 1983 Toyota C&C chassis (no a/c, no power steering)
- Engine 2.4L-L4 w/carburetor, rated 96hp with California emissions
- Transmission 4 speed stick shift
- Fuel economy 20.1 mpg averaged over an entire 3 week trip with two adults.
- Sold in May 2007 for $7,600 with 107,000 miles
To average 20 mpg on trips we had to limit top speed to 57 mph. Going 65-70 mph didn't buy us any time because of stopping more often for gas. At higher cruising speeds it would get under 15 mpg. And with such a small fuel tank, we had to stop every 3 hours or run the risk of running out of gas. -
There were many controlled fuel-mileage road-tests done by various camper and RV magazines. Just about all show figures around 13-15 MPG for a 20-21 footer with an automatic trans and 2.4 engine. A few with standard shift up in the 16-18 MPG range and all those tests were at 55-60 MPH. My point being that if anyone is actually getting (not just reporting) a highway average of 17-18 MPG with a non-lockup automatic trans, it is an anomaly. Certainly not the norm.
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14 hours ago, carlb said:
Is there some source which would provide some summary of all the different types of units that might be available???
Carlb, oregon
Are you talking about just Toyota-based micro-mini motorhomes - or any motorome that is small (under 7000 GVWR) and has 14-20 MPG potential? Toyotas in the USA ceased in the USA around 1994 when Toyota stopped selling the Hilux truck in the USA. After that - there are other small RVs of similar size and fuel-mileage potential. French based Winnebago LeSharo, Phasar, and Centuri. VW based Winnebago Rialta. Chevy Astrovan-based Allegro, Establishment-Aerolite or Provan. Probably the most common of the newest ones are the VW-based Rialtas and they are NOT cheap. Note I did not count the newest Sprinter-van-based RVs or the Ford Transist-van-based RVs simply because they cost so much and are fairly new.
Here's a article published in 1979 that discusses the many small micro-minis at that time. I think it is fair to say that the class-C micro-mini was started by the alliance between Toyota and Chinook in 1972 with their "Round Tripper." At least if not the first, it was the first time an auto-company struck a deal and had input in a small motorhome design for sale in the USA. Round trippers and Chinooks had tops that folded down that made them pretty fuel efficient and are one of the few Toyota motorhomes rated for trailer-towing. They were made up through 1979.
Here's a list of Toyota micro-minis I know of.
Belair, Blue Marlin, Bonanza Travelers, Cal Camper, Chinook, Coachman, Cobra-Daytona, Conquest, Dolphin, Durango, Encore, Enterprise, Escaper, Granville, GULF STREAM, Heritage, Huntsman, Itasca, Keystone, Little Chief, Little Gypsy, Mirage, MRV, Muskeet, New Horizon, New World, Odyssey , Okanagan, , Perris Valley, Pilgrim, Pontex, R.B.R., Roll-A-Long, Royal Hawaiian , Sand Pak , Sandtana, Seabreeze, Shasta , Sterner , Sunland, Sun Line, Sunrader, Travelmaster, Travette, TRT, Vader, and Winnebago
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Some say altruism is a paradox. At least one philosophy prof. I know. He says if you know you are being altruistic, then you are being self-serving, to make yourself feel better. So according to that "logic", I guess a person cannot win. Screwed if you do, and screwed if you don't.
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Did you have any trouble with the crush-collar on the pinion? I bought three for mine before I could find one that was correct. Even then, I was amazed at how much torque it took to crush it. I had a 3/4 drive rachet with a three foot pipe on it to do the job.
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Those Hengs vents warn they are not correct for OEM replacements. A little too small. If it was mine - I'd just make an adapter plate. A cheap way is to just cut one out of a flat galvanized sheet metal (any heating supply sells square sheets). Cut it out with a hand-held circular saw and a metal-cutting blade, like a Diablo. Or, if there is room - just cut the hole out a bit and put in a 26" square vent.
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35 minutes ago, Totem said:
But what if one source is a generator with AC at 120 vac, and one is 24 volt battery bank in series, with yet another as a solar array at 200 watts? your inverter can do all that?
You kind of lost me . All an inverter does is take DC power and turn it into AC power with a wave form that simulates the 60 Hertz Cycle (at least here in the USA). Many inverters are actually combination step-up transformers and inverters but are usually just called "inverters."
My old Trace-Xantrex inverter/charger (note is is NOT just an inverter) certainly allows me to wire in a generator and shore power.
If I had a 24 volt battery bank - then the actual inverter part of this "package" would need to be a Trace model 2424. E.g. made to accept a 24 volt input.
If I also wanted to wire in a 200 watt solar panel - yes, no problem at all. Just stick a 24 volt controller on it an wire into the DC input of the inverter.Note - I said before my Trace is 20 years old. I checked my records and I bought it 15 years ago. Not sure when they first came out. Here is some info on it.
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2 minutes ago, Totem said:
But what if one source is a generator with AC at 120 vac, and one is 24 volt battery bank in series, with yet another as a solar array at 200 watts? your inverter can do all that?
There is no such thing on the planet. I think you have your terms mixed up. An inverter "inverts" or "oscillates. Most inverters also step-up input power with a large step-up transformer. They have nothing to do with other AC power sources. An "inverter" IS an AC power source. It creates a sine-wave by inversion, thus the name. If you are speaking of a device that - creates AC power from DC, and also combines other AC power sources - you are talking about two different devices packaged together. And yes, my 20 year old Trace inverter/charger does the same thing and I guess more. Mine also has a built-in 100 amp battery charger. Technically it is an inverter/charger/power-combiner. NOT an "inverter."
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1 hour ago, WME said:
That's a new style compressor , designed to reduce power requirements.
This is what I was talking about. http://www.magnum-dimensions.com/product-inverter/3000w-12vdc-pure-sine-hybrid-inverter-charger-msh-series
I don't see any big advantage to the "new compressor" or the hybrid inverter. Maybe I'm missing something?
The AC unit with the new-fangled variable speed compressor uses exactly the same power to make the same BTUs of cooling as a conventional unit like a Coleman Mach III. The new one uses 12 amps to make 13.5K BTUs of cooling. The Coleman uses 12.1 amps to make 13.5K BTUs of cooling. Yes, I understand the possible gain in comfort or easier starting of having variable speed - but I suspect it is not much. Same goes for a heating-furnace in a house and one has "on" and "off" while the other has a variable speed blower. Comfort level can be a little better controlled but power use is the same.
As far as the "hyrbrid" inverter goes? I'm lost with that one too. Maybe it's in the wording in the description. It says "most inverters only use one source of energy to power loads." OK, I already disagree. An inverter has one DC input, yes. But we are free to hook into multiple DC power sources - like the alternator of the engine in an RV, the batteries, solar panels, etc. It goes on to say it combines the energy from "shore power" and a generator. OK. What does that have to do with any inversion process? It sounds more like they are selling an inverter that is attached to an extra device that is an alternating-current input combiner. I have a combo 2400 watt inverter/charger that is 20 years old and allows me to hook in both shore power and a generator. NOT something new. Why would you want to run a generator if you have shore power? Also, why would anyone want to charge a battery with an inverter that is using a battery to get its power?
The MSH-M Series Inverter / Charger from Magnum Energy – a pure sine wave inverter designed with true hybrid technology allowing it to run larger loads from smaller generators.
Hybrid technology: Most inverters only use one source of energy to power loads, either from incoming AC power – shore or AC generator – or from the batteries. The MSH-M Series combines the energy from both sources to power loads. This allows the inverter to recharge the batteries when there is surplus power or deliver more power to the loads if they require more than the AC input can supply by itself.
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I originally came here looking for some first-hand, hopefully accurate into, on Toyota RVs. That was back when I'd never owned one yet. Also after hearing all the plus-20 MPG myths for years. I had gone from Chevy camper van, to a K5 Chalet camper van, to a small Champion Class A, to some smaller rigs. Small "foreign" vehicles has fascinated me since the late 50s when they were not "cool." That includes mini-trucks, cars, and RVs. I have worked my entire adult life as either a mechanic, electrician, builder, and records-researcher. The latter after I broke my neck and could not do much hard physical work for a few years. My point being I am technical minded and that often causes arguments in certain forums. I will note that I moderate two forums (high tech) and my experience is - in higher-tech forums - hard feelings are arguments are rare. People post facts back forth and back them up best then can. The get called on them; some are shown to be wrong, but arguments are rare. I find that is NOT the case with forums that are less tech-orientated like this one. That is not a complaint. Just one person's observation and take on things.
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On 8/17/2016 at 6:54 PM, Bigdog said:
Freezer working fine,
main compartment cooling blade's not cold enough to keep food
from spoiling
I have met many people with the same complaint. I cannot say I have ever experienced it myself - but it seems to be the #1 reason why many have yanked out their absorption refrigerators and replaced with electric. I have also spoken with several people who spent big bucks getting new cooling units only to have the problem return. Can't say I have had any face-to-face contact with anyone that has resolved the problem long-term. But to be fair - I rarely hear from people when things work good. More often when there are problems. I would make sure the air-venting is working because if air is not circulating, it cannot cool evenly. Also keep in mind that the freezer and refrigerator section run in series with ammonia circulation as I recall. so in theory - if one works - the other HAS to work, although it might take 12-14 hours. That assumes proper circulation of air and no gasket leaks in the door. Here is a sample discussion that sounds familiar.
Problem person #1
I have a Dometic two-door (freezer on top) unit, NDR 1062, in a 2007 Tiffin coach.
The cooling unit failed in October, 2011 and was replaced by a Viking replacement cooling unit which has worked fine. Until now. After leaving the Tiffin service center in Alabama a few days ago we have noticed that the refrigerator is not cooling properly. The freezer does a good job of freezing ice and keeping it frozen but the refrigerator is not much below ambient. Gas or electric does not seem to make any difference.
Problem person #2
Same story except this person bought an external fan kit. Says it made no difference and he finally gave up and installed a compressor refrigerator.
Answer?
The "coolant" goes to the freezer first, then the refrigerator, so compromised cooling capacity affects the refrigerator first.
Start by making sure cooling capacity is maximized:
1. Defrost if more than 1/4" of ice.
2. Do the "dollar bill test" to verify that the door seals are snug.
3. Insure that the restrictor is in the bottom/outside end of the condensate drain.
4. Check that air flow in the bottom and out the top of the outside refrigerator area is unobstructed.
5. Particularly if the upper refrigerator outside vent is in the side vs roof, make sure there is no "dead space" above the refrigerator that can accumulate heat.
6. Do the burner area tune-up as outlined in your Dometic manual. Even a slight decrease in flame size can have a detrimental affect on cooling performance.
7. Lastly, use a manometer to verify propane pressure.
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Nothing witty here. Just kind of interesting "chronicles" of two peoples's attempts to use some 1600 watt generators with roof-top AC units. One with Champion, and the other with Honda.
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1 hour ago, Totem said:
JDE, how in the world do you know this guy is Stamar? - frightening.
I don't doubt that he is though. I do have that effect on most California libs.
He had the same photos running back when he was a celebrity on this forum - but with the name "Stamar" instead of "JoeLu." Hey, at least I had mercy on people here and only posted the dating-photos of him fully dressed. Funny thing about our mentor Stamar. I've seen his posts on other forums (for cars, not dating) . . and many seem "normal." Wonder why he was so "far out" when he came here? Must of been an affect of all the charisma we all spread around here.
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A casual observation about generators, in general. I've noticed this year that just about every professional service truck I see, that has a portable generator in back, has a no-name, yellow, Chinese generator. I just about never see Hondas or Yamahas anymore - at least not on professional rigs that need job-site power. In fact, the Mexicans that just put up a building for me in the Michigan UP had a 3500 watt yellow generator with no recoil starter. Just a separate rope that had to be wound up around a pulley. I found that kind of interesting. 30-40 years ago - it was the norm to never put electric start or a auto-rewind starter on a jobsite generator simply because a separate rope starter is by far the most dependable. Maybe someone figured out that maybe buying generators at 1/3 the price, even with little support, is a good deal in the long run?
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I must admit I added the annotations on the photos pointed towards Totem. The rest is all done by the guy formerly known as "Stamar" and now "Joelu."
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On 8/16/2016 at 3:04 AM, Kristeen said:
It was supposed to be tight, with a new engine installed, 350 Chevy, 700 Transmission
I'm curious to see how you do with fuel mileage and engine cooling. I had a Chevy K5 Blazer with a Chalet (Chinook) motorhome body with a pop-up roof. The original 350 gas engine ran fine but got around 9 MPG. Sometimes I could stretch it to 10 MPG. Note that was with a TH350 trans (no lockup, no overdrive), but had a low 3.08 axle-ratio. I then stuck in a 379 turbo-diesel along with a 700R4 (lock-up converter and OD), along with 3.73 axles. I had high hopes of getting 20 MPG but my absolute best was 15 MPG, and 13-14 MPG was more common. It weighed around 5500 lbs.
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38 minutes ago, Totem said:
i havent seen him post in here in a long time. perhaps I will reach out to him to let him know how much you miss him
His name is "JoeLu" now and I'm sure he'd love to hear from you, Totem.
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Kind of dry reading - but here is an article on micro-mini overloading where the president of Dolphin chimes in. I did not go back and read it all and I'm not sure if this is the one where Mr. Mertes of Dolphin mentions the tag-axle. I get a kick out of the comment about the "fools hanging motorcycles on the back and towing boats" with their Toyota RVs.
1985 Trailer Life magazine Besides the four-page article, I also included a few "mini" camper ads from the same magazine.
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The president of Dolphin was interviewed and was asked about the models with tag axles, just when Dolphin was ceasing production. He said that the company that was providing Dolphin with those tax-axles had cut their weight-rating in half. With the lowered rating, and all the added weight of the tax-axle itself - there was very little net-gain in useful GVWR so Dolphin dropped it. So, true or not - that is the word straight from "the horse's mouth."
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18 hours ago, Back East Don said:
While those names may be derogatory, the early french worked with the native population far better than the subsequent English did. In my opinion, the English just ruined the place but I have a French leaning bias.
I agree 100% The French (not counting the Jesuit priests) not only were willing to live with the Indians, they often intermarried with them and had children who learned all the languages. The English were pretty horrible and did all they could to destroy Indian culture. The Jesuit Relations offer many volumes of "first contact" with Indians that surpasses any other written record of what Indian life was like. The movie "Black Robe" does a great job portraying some of that. Especially the Hurons, Iroquois, and those Jacques Cartier called the "dirty rotten Indians", the Algonkins (excuse spelling since there are endless variations).
Some of my family is from "New Scotland" also. Half my family is from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia and the other half from southern France, department Ariege. I have a distant grandmother who is famous in Nova Scotia and Canadian history and THAT is pretty rare for a woman. Cecile Boudreau (again with endless spelling variations). She led people "out of slavery" from Port Royal, down through Canada. Unlike many other Nova Scotia refugees at the time that fled to Louisiana and became "Cajuns" (shortened from "Acadiens), she led them to Quebec and settled in Nicolet. Seems women rarely get credit for anything good in history books and she is an exception. So my first New Scotland ancestors were Pitres (French for "clown") and they arrived mid 1600s. Then Boudreau, Tessier, Bel Isle, Le Duc, Rene ditte Cottret, Desmarets, etc. Makes me think back to the Dick Van Dyke show because his name was "Rob Pitre" but pronounced "PIT-Ree." My name of Pitre is pronounce "PEET."
I know I am WAY off topic here so I'll stop. Interested conversation though - at least it ought to be to anyone interested in American Indian history or French-Canadian history.
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boudreau_cecile_5E.html
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4 hours ago, Awkray-ven said:
I want to add a Tachometer, the one guide I found said there should be a green wire attached to one of the green cylinders near the corner of the drivers side of the front windshield, under the hood. I found two cylinders, but no unused wires.
I have no idea what the "green cylinders" are that you are referring to. Wire-harness connectors maybe? I put a tach on my 1988 Toyota two years ago and it was about as easy as it gets. Tach cost me around $12. Has two wires NOT counting the light-wire. One goes to NEG and one goes to POS on the ignition coil. Has a switch that can be set to either 4, 6, or 8 cylinder. I guess if you have a 3 or 5 cylinder, you are out of luck. It has worked great. One thing I got from China that seems better then expected.
Used 4.56 3rd member swap into 92 Itasca
in Engines - Transmissions - Drive Train - Suspension - Chassis - Steering - Exhaust - Tires - Etc.
Posted
Looks like a great deal to me. Wear pattern on those gears look perfect and if that is an OEM setup, the OEM gears are the best of the best. That "free shipping" clinches the deal. I'd almost be interested in buying to have on hand - but don't worry. I am not that mean. I suggest you hit the "buy it now" option and get it before someone else does. Especially seeing how it is a 4-pinion rear instead of a 2-pinion.